


Genuine Article

by Tarlan



Category: Primeval
Genre: Angst, Community: smallfandomfest, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-02
Updated: 2011-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-15 07:32:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Helen abducts him, Nick discovers that Helen had more than just the soldier clones. She had clones made up of Nick and Stephen too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Genuine Article

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **smallfandomfest** FEST08  
>  My apologies if this seems a little rushed but today is the last day of posting for FEST08!

The two burly clones dragged Nick across the Triassic sands towards and outcrop of rock. He could see the reflection of the sun off of metal bars, wondering if the intention was to keep him in or keep something else out. The first of the dinosaurs had appeared in the Triassic, forerunners of the creatures that would rule the Earth for millions of years before another global disaster sent so many species into extinction. Still dazed from whatever drug Helen had used to sedate him, Nick could only glance around as he was half carried, half dragged into the cave. A cell door opened up before him and he was dumped unceremoniously onto the single cot that was pushed up against the bars running along the whole of one side of the cell.

Giddy and nauseous, Nick closed his eyes to stop the room spinning but he opened them when he heard a familiar voice call his name tentatively.

"Nick?"

He pushed himself upright and glanced into the next cell, watching as a shape detached from the deep shadow in the far corner.

"Stephen?"

He stared for a moment in disbelief, drinking in the sight of a man he had seen torn to pieces by the predators in Oliver Leek's menagerie all those months a ago. Stephen looked paler, thinner, with his hair longer and shaggier, unkempt but his eyes were still the same piercing blue that had caught his attention from the first time they met all those years ago. They were filled with similar disbelief but joy too.

Nick reached between the bars and clasped the arms reaching out to him, marveling at the feel of warm skin beneath his fingers and palms. There had barely been enough left of Stephen to put in the coffin, and only then because the predators had turned on each other when they could not get enough of Stephen's flesh to sate their hunger. Seeing him now, whole and alive, took the breath out of Nick's lungs, choking him up inside. He had grieved so hard in silence, dragging himself through every day and only caring about the consequences of his actions because the lives of others were in his hands. But there had been so many days when he had wanted to simply give himself up to whatever predator came through the next anomaly; to let it tear him to pieces the same way his heart had been shredded when he watched Stephen die.

"How long...?" How long have you been here, he tried to say but the words stuck in his throat.

"Months. I woke up here months ago. The last thing I recall is..." he swallowed hard. "I remember the beach, the scorpion, and the call from... They told me you were dead and I..." He shook his head. "I thought you were dead."

It answered Nick's question, making him positive that the man standing before him was the genuine article. The Stephen who had found him in Leek's menagerie must have been one of Helen's clones, possessing so many of Stephen's traits and memories that it had fooled him for that short time they were together. It didn't ease the horror of seeing some version of Stephen ripped to pieces but the pain receded for the first time since that terrible day. Anger overtook the numbness of remembered pain.

"She knew. Helen must have known it wasn't you and..." He broke off, too angry to continue until he saw the confusion in Stephen's eyes. "You died and she was there at the time. She knew it wasn't...YOU. She left us thinking you were dead."

Stephen nodded, strangely accepting of his words. "How long did the clone survive?"

"If your last memory was of the scorpion on the beach then...maybe a few hours, maybe less."

Stephen ducked his head in what looked like relief, and it occurred to Nick that it had to be worse believing that the clone was living his life, interacting with his friends while he was rotting in this cell. At least the clone had died quickly, even though it still meant that no one had been looking for Stephen--the same way that no one would be looking for him because it suddenly occurred to Nick that Helen must have done the same with him. She had replaced him with a clone and only time would tell how much damage it would cause under her control before someone at the ARC figured it out.

She returned less than a day later looking grim, informing them that both of her Cutter clones were dead along with many of her soldier clones. Nick's only chance of someone noticing that the clone was not him had gone. Now the others would believe he was dead, just as they had all believed that Stephen was long dead. No one would come searching for either of them.

Days stretched into weeks, the monotony broken by Helen's rare appearances, usually to gloat and sometimes to demand answers and if not for Stephen's constant presence, Nick might have gone insane. Stephen had pushed his bed up to the bars, placing it alongside Nick's and they spent the time stretched out side-by-side, going over ideas openly and whispering escape plans in the darkness. During the night when the cells were darkened, they had moved from staying within arm's reach to touching, needing the reassurance that the other was still there. When Stephen took that extra step one night, slipping his hand between the bars and beneath the loose-fitting clothes that Helen's clones supplied, Nick closed his eyes and let Stephen bring him over the edge, muffling his cry of pleasure against the back of his hand. Two nights later he reciprocated, wishing there were no bars between them. It set the pattern for the next week with each taking it in turn to bring the other to climax, sometimes muffling their cries with mouths pressed hard together through the space between the bars, cheeks hurting afterwards from the metal pressed against their faces while they kissed.

Another day dawned just like so many before but Nick saw the increased activity and knew something was up. Helen had not been seen for over three weeks and Nick had a feeling that none of her clones knew what had happened to her but were following orders she had left behind to cover emergencies. He and Stephen stood side-by-side at the front of the cell, watching as the clones began packing up gear.

"What's going on?"

No one paid them any attention and Nick was almost convinced that the clones did not have the capacity for independent thought. As the cave slowly emptied, Nick grew more alarmed as none of the clones approached them. Beside him Stephen had taken up the call for answers, wanting to know what was happening...but more importantly, what would happen to him and Nick. As the last case left the cave system, Nick realized that there was a strong possibility that they would be abandoned here, without food and water, trapped in the stone and metal cells.

"Wait! What about us?" he yelled as the last clone soldier walked away but the man never faltered once, disappearing out of sight and leaving them trapped and alone. Suddenly, all their talk of escape took on greater immediacy as now it was a matter of survival. About the only positive was the absence of the guards who would have prevented them putting those plans into action. There was no longer a need to hide their movements in the cell but a few sharp stones dug out of the cave wall were not going to make escape much easier.

"The bars," Nick exclaimed.

Stephen looked up and stared at the bars in confusion.

"Now there is no one to see, we can chip at the rock and cement holding the bars in place."

Stephen nodded and grabbed his own sharp stone, protecting his hand by wrapping one end in strips of material torn from the bottom of a sheet. Only the sound of rock against rock filled the area as they both set to work. Nick swore when a slither of rock sliced into a finger. He covered the wound quickly and carried on, aware that with the generator gone, there would be no electrified perimeter fence to ward off a creature attack. And there would be no light once the sun moved around a little more. Even now the shadows were lengthening inside the cave. Once it became too dark, they stopped for fear of causing more injuries, huddling side-by-side on their beds, still separated by the bars between them. The night was colder without the generator heating the cave and they tried to get as close to each other as possible, drawing up the thin blankets and shivering as the temperature continued to drop.

"It's fucking freezing!" Stephen whispered through chattering teeth, and Nick tried to move closer to Stephen, hampered by the metal bars. He was shivering too, wishing he had something warmer than a t-shirt and thin blanket.

Neither of them slept--too cold and too anxious. When the first rays of the sun penetrated the entrance to the cave, Nick sighed in relief and dragged himself back to the bar. Beside him, Stephen worked on the first bar in his cell--a mirror to the one Nick chipped away at in his cell. Fortunately, neither of them were stocky men so Nick hoped that loosening these two bars and the one that stood between their cells would give them just enough room to squeeze through. After that everything depended on whether they could locate the anomaly that Helen and her men were using to go from the Triassic to their real time but Nick had a concern that Helen was using a device to open anomalies whenever she wanted. They didn't have that luxury.

"It's loose!"

Nick stopped for a moment and watched as Stephen worked on his bar, seeing it loosen more with every tug. Heartened by the sight, he went back to his own bar and worked harder, eager to see similar results but he looked up as a thought struck him.

"Stop!" Stephen frowned at the order. "Leave that in place and start working on the center bar. I don't want any large gaps until we're ready to escape...just in case..." Nick's words trailed off but Stephen's eyes flicked towards the mouth of the cave in understanding. The cell bars gave them some protection in case anything came to investigate the cave now that the clones had gone.

Before long, Nick was working at the center bar from his side, trying to avoid the stone slipping and hurting Stephen. It was slow going and the daylight faded quickly as the sun moved round. They worked for as long as they could, neither of them mentioning the lack of food and water because they could do nothing about it.

Tomorrow, Nick thought. They were so close to loosening the final bar that he was certain they would get out tomorrow. Then they could start looking for food and water, and the anomaly if it still existed. Nick curled up on his cot facing Stephen's cell, dragged his blanket over him and reached through the bars to Stephen. Stephen was facing him, dredging up a smile from somewhere.

"We need a plan just in case we can't find the anomaly."

Stephen nodded tightly because even he knew they could not afford to deny the truth of their predicament. They were in the late Triassic at the dawn of the dinosaurs, and if the anomaly had been conjured up by the device Helen had found in the future then they could be trapped here permanently.

Stephen shivered as the temperature began to drop. "I've seen the clones bringing water in from the back occasionally so I think there's a fresh supply there. An underground spring maybe."

"We'll check that out first." Nick looked over his shoulder towards the darkness of the cave beyond their cells. "I think we can fortify this place, and it's large enough to start a small fire, venting it through the cave entrance. That should provide heat and cooking facilities."

He heard Stephen chuckle. "Were you a boy scout?"

Nick laughed softly. "No. But I worked on a few remote digs in my time."

The darkness brought the sounds of creatures closer and they stayed silent and close as more than one sound of shuffling steps filled the cave. They took it in turns to sleep but by the time the sun rose neither of them felt well rested. Whatever had entered the cave during the night had left by morning, but Nick wasn't going to take any chances on still being trapped when night fell again, just in case whatever it was came back hungry. It took two hours to finally remove all three bars.

"I'll go first," Nick stated and started moving before Stephen could argue. He drew in a sharp breath of pain as he squeezed through the tight gap, knowing he would have bruises from this but determined not to spend another night in the cell. Eventually he fell free and dropped to the sandy ground hugging his bruised ribs. "Tight fit."

Stephen went next and, for one worrying moment, he got stuck but Nick added his weight, pulling Stephen through so suddenly that he fell on top of Nick. They froze for a moment, aware of the close press of their bodies without the hard metal bars of the cell caught between them. Stephen dipped his head to capture Nick's lips and, unable to resist, Nick arched up into the kiss.

A distant roar had them parting and pushing to their feet. Grabbing a pole left behind by the clones, to use a weapon, Nick and Stephen made their way to the back of the cave, relieved to find it was a dead end with a small pool of water that had seeped through the rock. A plastic bucket had been abandoned close by and Nick grabbed it, filling the bucket halfway. He saw Stephen licking dry lips but they both knew better than to drink possibly contaminated water without boiling it first. They put the bucket down closer to the cave entrance and moved forward cautiously. The entrance had a gate that had been left open and Nick knew they could shut it securely behind them while they searched for food and wood, and for the way back to their own time. If Helen had opened the anomaly at a place where it occurred naturally then there was always a chance that it would open again, hopefully in their lifetime. Though if he had to stay trapped in the Triassic for the rest of his life then he could think of no better company than Stephen.

By the time night fell once more, they had a fire going and a pot of vegetables and a small lizard creature hanging above it. The clones had left a number of items behind that they would find useful. What they hadn't found was any sign of the anomaly. Any tracks had been obliterated by whatever had come to the cave during the previous night but Nick knew they simply had to widen the search circle until they found boot prints. At least then they would know which direction to head in search of the anomaly.

With the gate barring the entrance to the cave, and with a fire to keep them warm and put hot food in their stomachs, Nick found himself relaxing for the first time in days. Across the fire, Stephen stared at him with a half sated smile and Nick picked up his blanket and moved around the fire to sit next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Together they stared through the bars at a night sky.

"So many stars," Stephen whispered but Nick could understand being enthralled by the clear night sky, unsullied by the pollution of lights and chemicals from their modern age.

Nick placed an arm around Stephen's shoulder and pressed a kiss to his lips when Stephen turned his face. Moments later he found himself on his back, pushed down into the soft sand by Stephen's weight as the kiss deepened. Hands roamed under his clothing, no longer hindered by cell bars, and Nick gasped as Stephen wrapped his strong fingers around Nick's cock. Nick let himself go for a moment, letting the exquisite sensations wash over him but he wanted, no, needed more. He tugged at Stephen thin clothing until Stephen got the message and they both pushed aside clothing so they could touch skin-to-skin. Stephen took him in hand once more and this time Nick made no attempt to stop him, reaching between them to touch Stephen in turn. He came first, body melting in pleasure, gaining a moment longer to enjoy the afterglow before he felt Stephen writhing against him insistently.

"Yes. Your turn," he whispered raggedly and worked Stephen until he heard Stephen's soft cry and the wetness of his release against Nick's fingers.

They dropped onto their backs side-by-side, body's still touching from shoulder to thigh, lying in silence while they regained their breath. Eventually Stephen stirred.

"Lizard stew should be ready by now."

Nick snorted softly. "Let's hope it tastes better than it smells."

****

Fifteen Months Later:

"Stephen!" Nick rushed towards their cave, his shout drawing Stephen to the entrance. "The anomaly!"

His words spurred Stephen into action though Stephen still took the extra seconds to ensure the gate was secure before rushing up the sand and rock incline to where Nick was waiting impatiently. Together they kept up a fast pace, cresting the ridge and looking down to where the anomaly sparkled in the distance. When they reached it, Nick caught Stephen's eye and then his hand, determined not to be separated by some quirk of fate. Together they stepped through into a forest but before Nick could question the time zone, he saw the most beautiful sight: a jogger wearing an iPod in an arm band strapped to his biceps.

Stephen let out a sob and Nick grabbed him, hugging him tight as the full impact hit them both. They sank to the ground close to the anomaly. Even though Nick knew there was always a chance that something had changed--that their stay in the Triassic had consequences in their own time--he knew that, eventually, someone would come to investigate. But no matter what differences they found in the world around them, at least Nick had the most important person in his life with him this time.

They were home at last.

END


End file.
